Choices
by LucianLoveNarnia
Summary: When Lucy, Edmund, and Eustace go to Narnia, they are met by Caspian and the crew of the Dawn Treader. Feelings between Caspian and Lucy bud, as well as between Lucy and a young crew member. Caspian/Lucy/OC
1. Prologue

**This is the prologue for Choices. At first, I thought about making it a prequel to Dear One, but then I figured Dear One has run its course. Oh, and so you're not confused, here are the ages of the characters.**

**Caspian – 21  
Lucy – 15  
Edmund – 17  
Eustace – 13  
Tristan – 19**

**As you may notice, the prologue is **_**exactly**_** like the beginning of VODT, but don't worry, it'll change in the first chapter. I own nothing, the characters and all belong to C.S. Lewis, and the company and all that jazz. So enjoy!**

LUCY'S POV

It was a sunny, normal, boring day in Cambridge, England. I was in the market, and Edmund was supposed to be helping me buy food, but he was nowhere to be seen. I sighed and bought the food before picking up the bag and heading to the building where men were enlisting in the army. I walked to the door and looked in.

"Alberta Scrubb?" the man at the desk inquired. I knew my brother's answer; he'd tried enlisting before.

"It's a typographical error," Edmund insisted. "It's supposed to be Albert A. Scrubb."

"Edmund," I called, exasperated. He turned and sighed when he saw me. "You're supposed to be helping me with the groceries," I reminded him. It _was_ about time we were getting home. I still needed to cook dinner. The men standing in line behind my brother laughed.

"Better luck next time, eh squirt?" the one directly behind Edmund mocked. As we walked out of the building and to the bicycle we brought, I could feel my brother's anger rolling off of him in waves. I knew part of it was due to the fact that I'd interrupted right when he was about to be accepted.

"Squirt?" he scoffed. I knew that the other part was due to the man mocking him. I was glad it wasn't _all_ my fault. "He barely had two years on me! I'm a king! I've fought wars, and I've led armies!" I knew what he meant. I was tired of being treated like a child as well. But we had to remember where we were.

"Not in this world," I reminded him.

"No," Edmund went on. "Instead I'm stuck here, doing battle with Eustace Clarence Scrubb." As he was speaking, a soldier flirting with a pretty blonde girl caught my eye. She flirtatiously pushed her hair behind her ear, and I mimicked her actions. I couldn't help but think I wished I was as pretty as she was. Then I caught the look my brother was giving me.

"What are you doing?" he asked.

"Nothing!" I answered quickly. "Come on!" When we got back to the house, I caught the familiar sight of my Uncle Harold sitting in his chair reading the newspaper.

"We're back," I announced. "I tried to get carrots at the market but all they had were turnips again. You'd better freshen up for dinner." I walked out of the kitchen to see he'd completely ignored me. "Uncle Harold," I scolded, walking back into the kitchen to look at the mail. I saw a letter from my sister and smiled.

"Edmund!" I called, walking once more out of the kitchen, holding up the letter. "It's from Susan!"

We headed upstairs to the room I had to myself and I read the letter aloud. I let out an exasperated sigh when I reached the part about spending more time in Cambridge.

"Another few months? How will we _survive_?"

"You're lucky," Edmund said, rolling his eyes. "At least you have a room to yourself." He lay back on my bed as he spoke.

"Peter and Susan are the lucky ones," I corrected. "Off on adventures…." I stood and crossed the tiny room to the mirror and stared at my reflection. "Do you think I look anything like Susan?" I asked. But as soon as I said it, I knew it was pointless. Edmund didn't care.

"Lucy," my brother began, standing from the bed and walking to the painting on my wall, "have you seen this ship before?" I turned and smiled.

"Yes. It's very Narnian-looking, isn't it?"

"There once were two orphans who wasted their time," came Eustace's voice from the doorway, startling me, "believing in Narnian nursery rhyme."

"Please let me hit him," Edmund said, turning and starting towards our cousin. I grabbed his arm.

"No!"

"Don't you ever knock?" Edmund continued, this time talking to Eustace before turning back to the painting.

"It's my house. I'll do as I please," Eustace said in a snarky tone, moving to sit on my bed. "You're just guests." He paused for a second before adding, "What's so fascinating about that picture, anyway? It's hideous."

"You won't see it from the other side of the door," Edmund argued.

"Edmund, it looks like the water's actually moving," I commented lazily, smiling.

"What rubbish!" Eustace scoffed. "See? That's what happens when you read all those fanciful novels of yours."

"There once was a boy called Eustace, who read books full of facts that were useless." I couldn't help but giggle at my brother.

"People who read fairytales only become a hideous burden to people like me, who read books of real information." I sighed and rolled my eyes at Eustace's immaturity.

"Hideous burden?" my brother demanded. "I haven't seen you lift a finger since you've been here." I tuned him out when the painting started…leaking…water.

"Edmund, the painting!" I exclaimed, but he wasn't listening. In fact, it wasn't until sea spray blasted out—hitting me square in the face—that the two boys even noticed what was happening.

"What's going on?" Eustace demanded. He went on ranting in a panicked voice as water started pouring out. Finally he ran to the picture and took it off the wall.

"Eustace, don't!" I heard Edmund yell, and we both ran to get the painting from it. It was dropped to the floor, water gushing out relentlessly. Eustace was the first to slip underwater, followed by Edmund. I looked around for a sign of either of them, but saw nothing and started worrying about myself when I felt something pulling me. With a short scream, I fell under.

**Dun dun duuuuhhhhh! Apparently I'm notorious for my cliffhangers now! Hope you enjoyed! Review for me, plleeeeeaaassseeee! **


	2. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1! I promise it'll be at least slightly different from the movie! Enjoy!**

LUCY'S POV

It took me a while to get up to the surface, but once I did, I found myself gasping for air. When I caught my breath, I took a moment to look around. I noticed Edmund and Eustace had surfaced, as well as the ship from my painting. It seemed to be getting rather close, and honestly, while it looked Narnian, I had no idea whether the crew was friendly or not. I turned and yelled for the others to swim. I slipped underwater as I swam. I fought to resurface, but couldn't. I forced myself to stay calm as I pushed through the water. A moment later, an arm wrapped around my waist and pulled me back above water. I took in air gratefully.

"It's all right!" a familiar voice told me. "I've got you." I turned to see a friendly and very familiar face.

"Caspian!" I exclaimed. He was older than I remembered; maybe around 20? It didn't really matter, as I was just happy to see him and grateful that he'd just saved me from drowning. A smile spread across his face and recognition lit up in his eyes.

"Lucy!" he said, seeming happy to see me.

"Edmund, it's Caspian," I called to my brother as the said king helped me swim towards the ship. He helped me up on a board sent down to haul us up and kept his arm around my waist.

"Hold on," he told me. With a jerk, we were pulled up out of the water. I shivered in the breeze and draped a blanket given to me over my shoulders. Caspian held his in one arm and put the other around my shoulder in a sort of half-hug. "How in the world did you get here?" he asked.

"I have no idea," I answered.

"Caspian!" Edmund called. We both turned and Caspian grinned at my brother.

"Edmund," the king said, giving my brother a half-hug as well and giving him the blanket. We started to walk towards the stern of the ship when we heard a struggle behind us. I remembered Eustace and turned, seeing him wrestle with something. He threw it off of him, and as it neared us, I smiled.

"Reepicheep!"

"Oh!" the Mouse said, seeming startled. "Your Majesties!" He gave a slight bow.

"Hello, Reep. What a pleasure," Edmund replied.

"The pleasure is all mine," Reepicheep said. "But first, what to do about this…hysterical interloper?" We turned to Eustace, who had pulled himself to his feet.

"That giant rat thing just tried to claw my face off!" Eustace shouted, pointing at Reepicheep as if the crew members should do something to get rid of him.

"I was merely trying to expel the water from your lungs, sir," Reepicheep explained. Eustace froze and stared at him as if…well, as if he'd just been spoken to by a Mouse.

"He-he talked! He just talked! Did you hear that? He just talked!"

"He always talks," a crew member near me explained. He was tall, maybe Caspian's height, with short, messy blond hair and cerulean eyes. He grinned at me when he caught my eye.

"Yeah, actually, it's getting him to shut up that's the trick," Caspian joked. I turned back to him and laughed.

"The moment there is nothing to be said, your Highness, I promise you I will not say it," Reepicheep said, rolling his eyes. Meanwhile, Eustace continued to get more and more hysterical by the moment. The Mouse turned back to us, a thoughtful look on his face.

"Perhaps we could throw him back?" I laughed and looked at my brother. He seemed to be seriously thinking about it. "Edmund!" I scolded, hitting his arm. He, Caspian, and the handsome young crew member chuckled. I turned back to him.

"I'm Tristan, by the way," he said to me while Eustace was demanding to know where he was. I half-smiled and nodded at him. His cerulean eyes flashed a glare behind me and my head snapped up as someone touched my shoulder. I saw Caspian giving the boy—Tristan—a warning look before walking over to a Minotaur. I registered that Eustace was unconscious and Tristan leaned over to explain that he'd fainted.

"Tristan," Caspian snapped. The boy straightened up and glared at the king. "Back to work," the king went on, ignoring the glare.

"Yes, your Majesty," Tristan answered icily, walking away. He winked at me as he passed.

"Men!" Caspian called. Everyone turned. "Behold our castaways: King Edmund the Just, and Queen Lucy the Valiant, high king and queen of Narnia." I blushed as everyone bowed. "Come on," Caspian said, throwing his arm around my shoulders again. "Let's get you two into dry clothes before you get sick."


	3. Chapter 2

CASPIAN'S POV

"Sorry we don't have any women's clothes onboard," I said, pulling out a shirt and tunic while Lucy grabbed some trousers and a belt. "But I hope the cabin makes up for it." I smiled at her bell-like laugh as she dried out her auburn locks with her already-wet blanket.

"Don't worry about it, Caspian," she assured me. "I just hope I can find a pair of boots to fit me."

"I'll find you some," I promised, giving her another half-hug before grabbing my own dry clothes and ducking out of the room. I did find a pair of boots to fit Lu, and took them to the cabin. I came in when she allowed…and stopped in my tracks. She'd found some twine and was pulling her damp hair into a low side-ponytail. Somehow she'd managed to make my clothes fit her, and she looked positively beautiful in them. She looked up at me and gave me her signature grin before skipping over.

"Oh, you found some!" she said happily, taking the boots from me. Finally I found my voice again.

"I said I would, didn't I?" I teased, grinning back at her. I leaned against the doorjamb and watched as she sat on the bed, trying on the boots for size.

"Perfect!" she said, standing and pulling me by the hand out of the cabin. I chuckled; it was all so _Lucy_. We went up on deck and met with her brother, who was also dried off and dressed.

"Much better," I told him, grinning. We headed into a separate cabin. I watched them look around before Edmund noticed something.

"Peter's sword," he pointed out.

"Looked after, as promised." I pulled it out and started to hand it to him. "Here. You can hold it, if you'd like."

"No, it's yours," Edmund disagreed. "Peter gave it to you." I set it down.

"I _did_ save this for you, though," I told him, pulling out his torch and tossing it to me. He chuckled and gave me a grateful look and a quiet "thanks." I turned to see Lucy looking at Susan's bow and quiver and pulled out something I knew she'd recognize.

"Lucy." She looked at me, smiling when she saw what I held.

"My gagger and healing cordial!" She started to reach for them, then hesitated and looked at me. "Oh, may I?"

"Of course," I answered, surprised she thought she needed my permission. "They're yours." She smiled and took them, clipping them onto her belt. I chuckled at her before moving to the map Ed was overlooking. I began explaining to them all that had happened since they'd left.

"The giants in the North have surrendered unconditionally. There is peace throughout all of Narnia in just three years."

"And…have you found yourself a queen in those three years?" Lucy asked.

"No…not one to compare with your sister," I answered. I caught her grin as well as her slight eye roll.

"So wait," Edmund began, "if there are no wars to fight…what are we doing here?"

"I've been asking myself the same thing," I admitted. I caught Lucy's disappointed glance and added, "Don't get me wrong, I'm glad you're here." She laughed and rolled her eyes again, and I smiled at her.

"So where are we going?" Edmund asked, obviously feeling slightly uncomfortable.

"When Miraz came into power, he sent my father's closest friends and most loyal followers off to the east. They were never seen or heard from again."

"So we're going to find them?" Lucy asked, her blue eyes lighting up like they always did at the mention of adventure.

"Yes," I answered, grinning at her child-like glee. A knock sounded at the door. When I allowed it, the door opened and Tristan walked in. He nodded respectfully at all three of us, but his gaze lingered on Lucy far too long for my liking.

"What is it, Tristan?" I asked, standing up.

"Captain Drinian wishes to speak with you." His eyes flashed to me briefly before settling back on the young queen. I don't know why this disturbed me so much, but it did.

"Thank you," I said to him, obviously dismissing him, but he didn't seem to take the hint. I looked at Lucy, who was staring boldly back at Tristan, a confused look on her face before her eyes flashed up to me as if asking, "Why is he staring at me?" I turned to Tristan. "Tristan."

"Yes?"

"Leave." His eyes narrowed infinitesimally, but he did as I told him, not _quite_ stupid enough to disobey a direct order from his king. I turned to Lucy, a look in my eyes saying, "Sorry." She just shrugged and mouthed, "Not your fault."

"So…what's up with him?" Edmund asked, having missed the silent conversation between his sister and me.

"Tristan is…difficult," I answered. "I'm terribly sorry, but I'm afraid I'll have to excuse myself for the moment." I nodded at the two of them and gave Lucy's shoulder an assuring squeeze before I walked out of the cabin.

**Yes, Caspian and Tristan have a past. What is it? You'll find out soon enough! Review for me!**


	4. Chapter 3

LUCY'S POV

I headed up on deck as soon as Caspian excused himself and breathed in the salty air. I'd gone sailing a few times with Ed and Peter during our Golden Age, but it was five years before, and I missed it dearly. I loved the feel of the ship rocking on the waves under my feet, the smell of the brine and salt, the adventure that came with sailing. Narnia was perfect for me. I noticed Reepicheep standing on the dragon's head at the bow of the ship and began to make my way over there when I bumped into a crew member.

"Oh, I'm sorry," I apologized reflexively, turning to see the familiar cerulean eyes and golden hair of Tristan. Though his staring at me was unnerving, I had to admit I found him quite handsome, and very charming from our brief encounter when I came onto the ship not so long ago.

"My apologies, Queen Lucy," he replied, not seeming to have heard my own apology before. "I was not watching where I was walking."

"Just Lucy," I corrected him. I wasn't fond of my formal title, unlike my sister, who always had people inferior to her refer to her as "Queen Susan," even suitors. And, while I adored the title Aslan had given me, I didn't want to be addressed as "Queen Lucy the Valiant" in casual conversation. The thought almost made me giggle.

"Very well…Lucy," Tristan mused, smiling somewhat awkwardly, as if he had never spoken to royalty informally. From what I'd seen between him and Caspian, he probably never had.

"Am I…keeping you from your work?" I asked, not wanting to get him in trouble.

"No, I finished my chores," he answered, shrugging. "Might I ask where you were headed before we bumped into each other?"

"Oh, I was just going to go talk to Reepicheep."

"The Mouse?" Tristan asked, grimacing. "Isn't he a friend of the King's?"

"Well, yes," I answered slowly, "but he's also one of my friends. Do you not like him?"

"He's all right, I suppose. For a talking Mouse, that is."

"What's wrong with talking Mice?" I demanded, putting my hands on my hips.

"Nothing, your Majesty," Tristan answered quickly, cerulean eyes wide at my sudden hostility. "I just…that is…I-I-I have nothing against talking Mice, or talking Animals at all, for that matter."

"So it's just Reepicheep?"

"No, it's not."

"It's Caspian, then." It wasn't a question. I knew very well he didn't like Caspian, and the King didn't like Tristan, either.

"W-well," Tristan stuttered, looking down. He didn't finish his sentence. I sighed.

"What's wrong with Caspian?" I asked. It wasn't a demand this time; just a simple inquiry.

"Nothing," he snapped, turning away from me.

"You needn't be so rude," my brother's voice addressed Tristan. I turned and caught my brother's eye. He smiled slightly and shook his head when Tristan ignored him and walked away. I grinned at Edmund and finally made my way over to where Reepicheep stood. I heard him humming a tune to himself.

"Where sky and water meet, where waves grow ever sweet. Doubt not, you Reepicheep. To find all that you seek, there is the utter East. Doubt not—"

"That's pretty," I called as I approached, startling him. He smiled and came nearer to me.

"A Dryad sung it to me when I was just a Mouseling. I can't define the meaning…but I've never forgotten the words." I grinned at him.

"What do you think is beyond the Lone Islands, Reep?"

"I've been told the furthest one can sail is to the end of the world…Aslan's Country."

"Do you really believe there's such a place?"

"We have nothing, if not belief." He gave me a parting smile and went back to his perch on the dragon's head. I sighed and leaned over the edge of the ship, staring into the ocean. _"We have nothing, if not belief."_ It was true. I thought of my siblings the last time we were all here together, before we met Caspian and restored Narnia. I'd been the only one to see Aslan, and though I told the others, they didn't believe me. I'd wondered why I was the only one. When Peter talked to me about it later, I'd had a theory, but then my mind changed later on when we returned to England. _"Maybe we need to prove ourselves to him,"_ I'd told Peter. But when we went back to England and Susan started getting caught up in the things of that world and leaving Narnia behind, I thought of something else. _"Maybe I believed the most out of all of us,"_ I'd theorized. Even Edmund hadn't seen Aslan the first time. And while he had a thought that he should believe me, he convinced me to stay with the others as if he didn't trust me to follow Aslan by myself.

Through my musings, I noticed a girl pop her head out of the water. I smiled when I recognized her as a water Nymph, and waved at her. She grinned at me and waved back before diving underwater. I watched her until she was out of sight before heading back down on deck.

**The chapters are short, I know. ((long sigh)) I wish they weren't. I promise I'll make the next one longer. Review, please!**


	5. Chapter 4

**Thanks for the reviews! As promised, I'll make this chapter a lil longer! Enjoy!**

LUCY'S POV

As I headed onto the deck, I noticed the crew gathered round watching what seemed to be a mock swordfight between Caspian and Edmund. I smiled and leaned against a railing to watch it. They were both very good, and Edmund had even taken up fencing in England to continue his sword training. His knowledge had skipped him up two levels just from the start. The mock fight here ended in a draw.

"You've grown stronger, my friend," I heard Caspian say.

"It seems I have," Edmund answered, chuckling.

"All right!" Drinian called. "Back to work!" The crew dispersed. Edmund walked towards me, gratefully taking a cup of water handed to him. During the fight, I'd been thinking about what Reepicheep said about sailing to the end of the world. _Maybe there isn't an end,_ I thought. _After all, our world is round…maybe Narnia's flat. What would happen if we reached the end?_

"Edmund," I said to my brother as he approached, "do you think if we sailed to the end of the world, we'd just…tip off the edge?"

"Don't worry, Lu," he assured me, grinning. "We're a long way from there." As he spoke, Eustace came out from below deck.

"I see you're still talking nonsense, the two of you," he said. Despite my annoyance at him, I had to make sure he was okay. He seemed it, but I felt I should ask.

"Are you feeling better?" I noticed Edmund roll his eyes when I asked. I elbowed him.

"Yes, no thanks to you. It's lucky I have an iron constitution," Eustace said stubbornly. I rolled my eyes at his snobby remark. Reepicheep wandered up to us just then.

"Found your sea legs?" he asked, grinning when Eustace turned on him.

"Never lost them. Simply dealing with the shock of things." He turned away, and Edmund went to take a drink of water when he added, "Mother says I have an acute disposition…due to my intelligence." And that was it for Ed. If he hadn't spit the water right back out, it would have come out his nose. I laughed at my brother's expression—a mix between shock and disgust.

"I don't think he has a cute anything," Reepicheep commented. That set Eustace off on a rant.

"I'll have you know that when we reach land, I'm contacting the British Consul! I'll have you all arrested for kidnapping!" he was trying to walk away, but Caspian stepped in the way, and my cousin ran right into him. It didn't budge the King, but gave Eustace quite the jostle, and he stepped back in shock.

"Kidnapping, was it? Funny, I thought we saved your life," he said. His voice was oh-so-casual, but I caught the threatening undertone. Our eyes met for a brief moment, and I grinned at him.

"You held me against my will!" Eustace shot back, already over his shock of running into Caspian.

"Did I?" Caspian asked, the threatening tone gone. All that was left in its place was shocked amusement that my cousin would continue talking, challenging the King.

"In, I must say, the most unhygienic quarters! It's like a—like a zoo down there!" Eustace went on. Caspian looked at me, shocked and mildly amused, but also incredibly annoyed. In answer, I rolled my eyes and shrugged as if saying, "There's not much you can do but wait out the rant."

"He's quite the complainer, isn't he?" Reep asked.

"He's just warming up," Edmund sighed. I almost laughed aloud but controlled myself before that happened. I noticed Caspian start to move towards me when the man in the crow's nest shouted "Land ho!" and he looked up to see the land mass we were moving towards. Edmund stood and made his way to the bow of the ship, and Caspian followed, touching my shoulder lightly as he passed. I walked over and waited at the bottom of the stairs, listening to their conversation.

"The port of Narrowhaven," Drinian said.

"Odd," Caspian commented as he looked through the spyglass. "Not a Narnian flag in sight." I looked up as he passed the spyglass to Edmund.

"But the Lone Islands have always been Narnia's," my brother answered in a confusion. I sat for a moment, thinking back on it. He was right; Peter had taken the Lone Islands under Narnian rule without even the slightest thought of battle. The natives seemed to like being under the rule of such a strong country. I couldn't imagine they felt that way when Miraz was in power, however, and they probably took their flags down because of it. Edmund's voice snapped me from my thoughts. "I say we prepare a landing party. Drinian?" There was a slight, awkward pause before Drinian spoke.

"All due respect, but the orders on this ship start with King Caspian."

"Right. Sorry." I couldn't help but flinch at Edmund's tone. He sounded…jealous. He'd always been slightly envious of being the younger of the two kings, second to Peter, and now second to Caspian. I felt bad for him. I heard Caspian giving orders, but wasn't paying close enough attention to the exact words. It didn't matter; I was coming ashore whether they wanted me to or not.

"Lucy?" I heard Caspian say, and I blinked, realizing the King was right in front of me. "Come on, we have to get in the boats."

"What about Eustace? He'll be a nuisance for certain if we leave him onboard." I could see the confliction in the King's eyes.

"That's not a good idea, Lucy," he said, and I heard his authoritative tone mixed in with his normal one. But even though I wasn't currently on the throne, I was still a Queen, and he wasn't about to talk to me like a subject. I straightened up.

"He's coming with us," I said in such a way that even Caspian could not argue.

"He's your responsibility, then, Lucy," Caspian told me. I sighed, knowing I deserved that. Eustace walked over and shakily got into the boat. I got in before him, allowing him to take my arm to steady himself. I sat down next to Caspian as we rowed ashore.

My brother, Caspian, the crew members, and I got onto dry land with no trouble. I was slightly shaky after not having been on land for hours, but Caspian held me in place for the few moments it took to steady myself.

"Come on, jelly legs," I heard Reepicheep tell Eustace, and turned in time to see my cousin stumble out of the boat.

"And you're certain he's related by blood?" Caspian asked me in a skeptical tone. If it wasn't so embarrassing, I would have laughed at his question. Instead I sighed and turned, following the King onto the island. It took me a moment to realize what was so off about the place.

"Listen," I said. "Where is everyone?" As soon as I said that, there was dead silence from everyone who'd come ashore. The silence was broken suddenly by the tolling of large bells, like those rung at a wedding. My hand flew to my sword hilt, ready to pull it out on moment's notice. The air around me felt tense.

"Reepicheep, stay here with the men," Caspian instructed. "If we're not back by dawn, send a party."

"Yes, your Majesty." Reepicheep put away his blade and made his way back to the boats with the other men while Edmund, Eustace, and I followed Caspian up a path into the city. It was so silent as we made our way through the city to what looked like it would be a large hall. Eustace was looking around through windows and he ran closer to us after inspecting a house.

"Yeah, looks like there's no one home. So you think we should head back?" he asked. We all turned to him, and I caught the look Caspian shot me. "It was your idea to bring him," it said. I just rolled my eyes at him.

"Do you want to come here and…guard…something?" Edmund suggested.

"Ah, yes! Good idea, cousin," Eustace said as he shuffled—there's no other way I could describe the way he ran—over to us. "Very, uh…logical." Caspian looked over at him and sighed. He handed him a knife and walked back over to the doors.

"Don't worry, don't worry. I've got it!" Eustace told us, as if trying to assure us. From the look on the others' faces, it was just making them more nervous. We walked in as quietly as we could, and as I looked around, I noticed two things: how big and empty the room seemed, and the fact that it was full of large bells, like the one we'd heard at the port. In the middle of the room stood a podium, on which was a book.

"There are names," I said when we got close enough to read the contents of the book.

"Some are crossed out. And what are these?" Edmund asked, pointing at the numbers by the names.

"It's like some kind of…fee," I said.

"Slave traders," Caspian whispered. No sooner had those two words come out of his mouth than the bells started ringing wildly, and slave traders were sliding down the ropes out of hiding to try and grab us. I found myself fighting desperately until a scream sounded from the entrance of the hall. I turned to see a man had the knife Eustace was holding to my cousin's neck.

"Eustace," my brother scoffed. I would have scolded him if I could; it wasn't really Eustace's fault. The man was twice his size!

"Unless you want to hear this one squeal like a girl again, I suggest you drop your weapons," the man drawled.

"'Like a girl'?" Eustace demanded, but he shut right up when the man pressed the knife closer to his neck and shouted, "Now!"

"Get your hands off me!" I ordered when my hands were empty and men started converging on me to put metal cuffs around my wrists.

"Listen to me, you insolent fool, I am your King!" Caspian shouted angrily. One man struck Edmund across the face, and he glowered back at the man.

"You're going to pay for that!" he hissed. One man lifted my chin, grinning horridly at me.

"Hey, Pug, this one's rather pretty!" he called.

"Don't touch me!" I snapped, but he just struck me the way the man had struck Edmund. I wasn't nearly as strong as my brother, and the force was such that it knocked me to the floor. I caught sight of Caspian struggling and kicking his way out of the slave traders' grasps and made his way over to me. He tried to help me up before the others grabbed him.

"I'll do whatever I want, sweetheart," the man chuckled darkly.

"You won't do such a thing," Caspian growled at the man.

"And why not? She's my property until someone buys her."

"Because she's my wife," he said. At first, I wondered what exactly he was doing, saying something like that. But then I realized when the look on the man's face changed from a leer to a straight glare.

"Right then." He hoisted me painfully by one arm onto my feet, and Caspian broke free of the men holding him and rushed to me. I noticed his hands weren't cuffed yet when he pulled me into his arms.

"It's going to be all right, Lu," he promised. "I'll find you." As the men started to pull us apart, he leaned down and pressed his lips softly and gently against mine. I was shocked, but knew I had to keep up the appearance that Caspian was my husband, so I closed my eyes and kissed back until the slave traders tore us apart. I fought as hard as I could as they dragged me and Eustace in a completely different direction than Edmund and Caspian, all the while my eyes on the King's.

**Yusss, they kissed! But then the slave traders broke it up. Damn slave traders! LOL, anyway, review for me!**


	6. Chapter 5

**Sooooo…((sly grin)) For all of you who remember…Caspian kissed Lucy in the last chapter. ((knowing chuckle)) This is where things get interesting…. Enjoy!**

CASPIAN'S POV

It was dark by the time we were thrown into the cell. It was damp and cold and uncomfortable. I couldn't believe I was in this mess. I blinked until my eyes adjusted to the darkness, and I looked over at Edmund, who'd probably been knocked unconscious when pushed carelessly into the cell. The place on his forehead where he'd been struck was an angry red, and I winced. I sat back against the cold stone wall and put my head in my hands, thinking about Lucy and wondering if she was all right.

"Lucy," I sighed, resting my head back. I hadn't thought of her more than my best friend before…but after that kiss I gave her, I started feeling…differently. It was just to make my claim of her as my wife more realistic, not to incite any feelings. But nevertheless, I found myself thinking about it. Her lips had been so soft and warm, and even though I knew she was completely taken off guard at first, she kissed me back. I knew it didn't mean anything other than keeping up appearances, but she still did it. She didn't have to kiss me back; I hadn't planned on the kiss being as long as it was. It was just going to be a quick "it'll be all right" kiss and that was it. But when she kissed me back…I felt I had to make it last. I was so lost in thought I didn't notice when Edmund came around until he spoke.

"Your wife, huh?" he asked. I opened my eyes and peeked at him.

"It was the first thing that popped in my head," I replied. "Anyway, you saw the look on the man's face. They may be immoral enough to sell people, but they're not immoral enough to try and mess around with married women."

"She's fifteen, Caspian."

"They don't know that," I answered softly, trying to keep calm. I didn't know what he was so worked up about. None of it was true. It was silent for about fifteen minutes before he spoke again.

"Did you have to kiss her like that?" I couldn't help but laugh at him, despite our circumstances. "What?" he demanded.

"Isn't the over-protective brother role Peter's?" I asked.

"We share it," Edmund answered, and when I looked at him again, I saw a faint half-grin. Then it disappeared and his tone became serious again. "That kiss looked pretty real."

"Good. If it fooled you, it will definitely have fooled those morons," I replied coolly.

"Caspian…don't go falling for my sister. You know we're not staying here."

"It was just to keep up appearances, Ed," I sighed exasperatedly, lifting my head and opening my eyes fully to stare at him.

"Caspian…they may be morons, but I know you. You may have intended it as nothing at first…but it turned into something." I flinched when he said that. It was almost as if he'd been reading my thoughts earlier. "And don't think I'm just getting on your case for this," Ed added as he lay down. "I saw the way Lucy reacted. She'll be getting in just as much trouble." He was out the next moment, but I didn't really think it was from exhaustion so much as his head. It had to be pounding from that injury by now.

I was unable to sleep, so the rest of the night, to keep my thoughts off of my worries for Lucy, I attempted to kick the cell door open. Morning light came, and eventually Edmund came back around.

"You all right?" I asked him. He started to nod, but then grimaced at the obvious pain it brought.

"Yeah," he answered instead. I nodded and went to kick at the door again, hoping the hinges were somehow worn enough by now that it'd break open.

"It's hopeless," came a voice from a darker part of the cell. It startled me, and the first thing I wondered was if the man heard my conversation with Edmund during the night. "You'll never get out," it went on. I moved towards the voice cautiously.

"Who are you?" I asked.

"No one," the man answered. "Just a voice in my head." As I neared him, I realized I recognized him. It took a moment, but…

"Lord Bern?" From the look on his face, I'd startled him. It seemed no one had addressed him as "Lord" in many years.

"Maybe once," Bern answered. "But I'm no longer deserving of that title." He froze and stared at me for a few moments before continuing, "Your face…you remind me of a king I once loved."

"That man was my father," I answered, smiling slightly at him.

"Oh! My king!" he said, startled, beginning to bow, but I stopped him.

"No, it's all right," I replied gently. I helped him stand and was about to ask him about his encounters over the years since he'd been sent away by Miraz when there was a commotion outside. I looked over at Edmund briefly, my mind flashing to Lucy as I headed over to the small window in the cell.

"Helaine!" a man was shouting, and I saw him running after a cart of people the slave traders had captured. A little girl followed behind the man, and I realized with a jolt that it was a family.

"Mummy!" the girl called. The woman reached out to her husband when he neared her, and he was thrown back violently a moment later.

"I'll find you!" he shouted after her. My hands tightened on the bars in the window as I realized that those were the last three words I had promised Lucy before we were separated. I squeezed my eyes shut for a moment before opening them again when Edmund tapped my shoulder.

"You all right?" he whispered.

"I'm fine," I sighed. "But is Lucy?" I saw the look on Ed's face, and his gaze shifted to the people being loaded into boats, and I could tell he was looking for her.

"What's going on?" I asked Bern.

"Keep watching," he told me. So I did. I could barely tear my eyes away from the sight as the boats were sent into the sea. A green mist rose up from the water and engulfed the boats. When it receded, the boats and their passengers were gone…just like that.

"What?" I whispered, shocked.

"It's a sacrifice," Bern told me as I jumped down from the window. "Those who aren't sold are offered up to the mist. It first appeared in the east." I could tell he was about to continue when a few of the slave traders that we'd encountered the night before walked in. Two of them moved towards me and Edmund, putting harsh, metal cuffs around our wrists. I winced as the metal cut into my skin, and gave a glare to the man who pushed me out of the cell.

_I need to find her,_ I thought. _Before something terrible happens to her._ We were led up out of the dungeon-like cell block and I stopped a moment to blink in the sunlight. The men shoved me forward, and I glared at him before continuing on. As we passed over what served as the town square, I looked down and saw it was Lucy being sold. I stopped walking, ignoring the men shoving me. I had to see what would happen.

"Now for this fine young lady," the man I recognized as Pug announced. "Not the dainty type, as we can tell from the way she struggles"—as he, spoke, Lucy elbowed him away from her—"but she'd be of some use. Just be careful, men. This one's married." I sighed in relief as the air about the men buying her changed. Obviously most of them changed their minds, but people still called out bids.

"I bid 60!"

"I bid 80!"

"100 for the little lady!" Once there were no more bids, Pug put a "sold" sign around her neck and pushed her off the stage roughly. She shot a scowl at him as she was led over to the man who'd "purchased" her. He handed silver crescents to one man, and put his hand on Lucy's arm. She just shoved him away.

I was able to see Eustace put up on the stage before I was shoved onwards more forcefully by the men around me. I glared at them before meeting Edmund's eyes. He nodded towards the square.

"If you're lucky," one man near me hissed, "you'll be bought by the same man who bought your wife." He chuckled darkly. "So few are so lucky."

"Come on, are there no bids?" Pug's voice came up from the square.

"I'll take him off your hands," a very familiar voice said, and I looked down to try to find the Mouse. "I'll take them _all_ off your hands!" As the many cloaked figures in the square threw off their cloaks to reveal the crew of the _Treader_, I took the opportunity to attack our captors. I noticed a moment later that Bern had, in fact, been pulled out of the cell with us. Not long later, I called for the keys to the harsh cuffs around my wrists. I got them off and made my way down towards the square. I saw Reepicheep get Lucy's cuffs off of her, and sighed in relief. I'd have to thank the Mouse later.

Just as Lucy pulled the "sold" sign off her neck, the man who'd purchased her grabbed her arm from behind and roughly pulled her towards the archway that led out of the square. She glowered at him and shoved away. He raised his hand, as if intent on striking her, and I made it over to them just in time to grab his wrist.

"I wouldn't," I hissed at him. He looked at me in surprise, and stumbled backward, letting go of Lucy's arm when she elbowed him in the side of the face. The fight was over within a matter of minutes, and when it was, I pulled Lucy to me in a hug.

"Are you all right?" she asked me, pulling back to look up at me. I laughed at her.

"Am _I_ all right? Shouldn't you be worried about yourself?"

"You said you'd find me," she answered, grinning and shrugging. I gave a breathy chuckle and hugged her close to me again. After seeing what happened to the people in the boats, and hearing the same three words I'd promised her, I'd started to lose hope. I was glad she hadn't.

We found our weapons and Lucy grabbed her dagger and healing cordial, clipping them on securely. Once I had my sword, I rubbed my wrists where the metal cuffs had cut in and winced. Lucy reached out tenderly and poured a drop from her cordial on my cuts. They were healed completely a moment later. I smiled gratefully at her and she nodded before heading over to her brother and healing the injury on his head. We walked out of the armory and were walking towards the port when the man who'd been chasing after his wife called out to me.

"My wife was taken," he explained. I knew as much, but let him continue.

"It's all right, Drinian," I told the captain when he tried to stop the man.

"I'm a fine sailor," the man told me. "Been on the seas my whole life."

"Daddy!" the little girl called out. "I want to come with you!"

"No, Gael, stay with your aunt." She kept following him until he stopped and whispered, "Have I ever not come back?" I turned and continued walking a moment later. Bern stopped us as we reached the port.

"My king!" he called. He held what appeared to be a sword.

"That's an old Narnian sword!" Edmund pointed out.

"It's from your Golden Age," Bern confirmed, nodding. "There are seven such swords. They were given to the Lords for protection. I've kept mine hidden in a cave. Here, take it." He handed it to me, and I hesitantly took it. As we neared the boats, I looked over at Edmund.

"Ed," I said, stopping him. I handed him the sword and gave him a half-smile and a nod. He chuckled as he took it.

"That was sweet," Lucy commented as we got into the boat.

"It means more to him than it does to me," I told her. She grinned at me and laughed lightly as we headed back to the _Treader_.

**Another really long one! o.o ((wipes imaginary sweat off my brow)) It was interesting to write, too. No kiss in this one. ((sigh)) Oh well. Review for me!**


	7. Chapter 6

**Hey, guys! I'm so, so, **_**so**_** sorry I haven't updated in forever. I can't even believe how hectic my schedule has been lately! My first year of high school has been insane, but it'll be over June seventh, so I'll be updating much quicker, come summer. Enjoy chapter 6!**

LUCY'S POV

Edmund gave me quite the lecture once we left the Lone Islands. It was about being careful with Caspian, since he and I both knew we were going to leave eventually. I just gave him the "don't mention that now, we just got here" answer, and it stopped him cold.

"Don't get too attached, Lucy," he whispered, hugging me before heading back on deck. I sighed and went into my—Caspian's—cabin, putting my head in my hands and replaying his last sentence over in my head.

"I think that's impossible," I finally mumbled to no one. After a few minutes, a knock sounded on the door and I lifted my head. "Come in," I called. Tristan opened the door.

"Quee—er, Lucy, I was wondering if you could do something for me," he said, looking sheepish. In his left hand, he held a shirt.

"Sure, what is it?"

"My other shirt ripped, and I was wondering if you could fix it. I would do it myself, seeing as it's no job for a queen…but I'm terrible at mending things." I laughed.

"I'm not a queen in my world, you know," I told him, standing and walking out of the cabin, closing the door behind me as we headed on deck. "So I'm used to doing things like this."

"It's hard to believe they haven't made you queen in your world," Tristan said, grinning. "You'd be wonderful at it." We stood in silence for a few minutes before he added, "I'm sorry I was so nasty to you earlier."

"It's all right," I said, shrugging. I reached out and took the shirt from him, my hand brushing his as I did so. I looked up into his cerulean eyes and smiled slightly. He cleared his throat and looked away, releasing the article of clothing.

"I have to get back to work," he said almost under his breath. "Thank you again…Lucy." With that, he walked away. I blinked and looked around, catching Caspian's eye across the ship. I dropped his gaze quickly, wondering how long he'd been staring at me, wondering if he'd seen the exchange between me and Tristan. I shook my head to clear it and found a needle and some thread before sitting down out of the crew's way and setting to work on my current task.

Some other crew members noticed what I was doing and several stopped and asked me if I could men some of their stuff, as well. I said yes to all of them, hoping to keep myself busy and keep from looking up and meeting Caspian's gaze again. I could feel him staring at me as I worked.

About an hour or two passed as I continued mending the clothes, folding them and putting them next to me to be picked up by whomever they belonged before he came up to me.

"Lucy," he greeted. I winced at his rather formal tone, as Caspian was always so friendly with me. I finally looked up at him, my blue eyes meeting his brown ones.

"Hey," I said, giving him a quick half-smile. "Do you need something mended, too?" He sighed and sat down next to me, eyes trained on the wood of the deck.

"I saw you talking to Tristan. I don't mind that you're friends with him, but Luce…he's not exactly good news."

"Why don't you like each other?" His eyes hardened, and though his gaze wasn't fixed on me, I winced.

"He's…disrespectful." I knew that much. But I didn't press it. Rather, I turned back to the vest that was currently on my lap and continued mending it. I could feel Caspian's eyes on me again, but I could tell that it was a much softer look than he was giving me earlier because I didn't feel like he was boring a hole into me just by staring at me.

"Lucy…can I ask you something?"

"Sure."

"That…that kiss…" I stiffened when he paused. I didn't look at him as he continued, worried now what he was going to ask me. "Did it…_mean_ anything to you?" I saw a couple of crew members who were within earshot pause in their work and stare at us. Obviously, of the people on this ship, only Edmund, Eustace, Caspian, and I would know about the kiss. I allowed my eyes to drift and meet his.

"I…I don't know," I answered honestly. "I know what it was supposed to mean…."

"It's all right if it didn't mean anything. I was just curious."

"Did it mean something to you?" I asked, searching his face in curiosity. He looked away from me, and shrugged.

"It was just to…to keep up appearances," he whispered before standing and walking away. I wanted to follow him and ask him what he really felt about it, seeing as we both knew it had ended up something more than that. But instead, I turned my attention back to my mending.

Not long after I finished and the clothes were picked up by their owners, there was a commotion. I stood from where I'd been sitting for the past few hours and headed to where most of the crew was gathered. Eustace had apparently tried taking an orange for himself and Reepicheep had caught him in the act. I sighed at my cousin but watched as the Mouse got him to swordfight. Reepicheep won, of course, pushing Eustace over into a basket, which tipped over under my cousin's weight. From the basket came a squeal. A little girl crawled out.

"Look!" I said to the others as she showed herself.

"Gael?" the man from Narrowhaven—Rhince—exclaimed. He helped his daughter up and hugged her. Drinian approached, tossing the orange Eustace had taken into the air and catching it, looking kindly at Gael.

"It looks like we have ourselves a new crew member," he said, smiling and handing her the orange. I stepped forward, knowing, as the only other girl on the ship, that it would be my duty to watch after her.

"Welcome aboard," I told her.

"Your Majesty," she replied, curtsying. I smiled.

"Call me Lucy," I told her, smiling and wrapping an arm around her shoulders as I led her down into the cabin. Things were going to get much more interesting now.

**And there ya have it, chapter six! We got some Tristan/Lucy and Caspian/Lucy in there. Things are going to get much more interesting now… :D**

**Hope you liked it! Again, **_**really**_** sorry I haven't updated in forever! Review for me!**


	8. Chapter 7

**Summer is finally here! Now I have more time to write! Whoo!**

LUCY'S POV

The first storm while aboard the _Treader_ was horrible. I wasn't too great with storms, so Gael stayed with her father most of the time. Of course, everyone else was busy, so I wasn't able to get to Edmund while he worked out in the waves. I sat on the bed in my cabin, curled into a ball, cringing every time the thunder _boom_ed outside.

As I sat, shivering in fear and cold, a knock sounded at the door. I didn't say anything, but the door opened anyway to reveal Tristan, who'd obviously just come from the storm. He pulled his soaked slicker off and tossed it to the floor, walking over to me and sitting down, pulling me close to him and wrapping his arms around me comfortingly. We sat like that in silence for what seemed like forever before I finally pulled out of the embrace and stared up into his cerulean eyes.

"Thank you, Tristan," I whispered.

"Have you always been frightened of storms, Lucy?"

"Almost always," I mumbled sheepishly. "I sort of developed a fear of thunder. When I was very young, I found the noise fascinating. But one time I was home in my room by myself when thunder sounded and shook the house, and it scared me. I've been afraid of the sound ever since."

"It's just a sound, you know," Tristan whispered, chuckling. I realized he was moving closer to me, and I froze, wondering what I should do. His lips were merely inches from mine when I finally came to my senses and pulled myself back, standing from the bed and turning from him.

"You should leave," I told him, voice trembling.

"Lucy—"

"Now." He came up behind me and turned me towards him, tilting my head up and planting a soft, sweet kiss on my lips before turning and walking out of the room. I blinked in surprise and touched my fingers to my lips, wondering what exactly had just happened.

I shook my head to clear it and turned to look out the window and see if I could judge about what time it was. Seeing as it was getting quite dark out, I pulled on a slicker, braced myself, and went out above deck to collect Gael for the night.

I helped her out of the slicker that was so big on her that she was practically swimming in it. One thing that was good about it being so big was that she never got wet. She crawled into the bed first as I changed out of my clothes and into one of Caspian's shirts that I wore as a nightgown.

I was still awake, shuddering each time thunder crashed, when the door to the cabin opened and Caspian walked in. At first I wondered what he was doing in here, but then I remembered his clothing was still in the cabin. I watched with a growing blush as he pulled off his wet shirt, his back to me. He obviously didn't know I was awake and watching him. I couldn't keep my eyes off of his perfectly muscular back as he grabbed a nearby, unused blanket and dried himself off with it. He rummaged through the drawers for a while before finally pulling out dry clothing. I rolled over on my other side so I was facing Gael as he changed.

When he finished changing, I heard him walking softly over to the bed, and I closed my eyes, pretending I was sleeping. I rolled over sleepily when he sat down on the edge, like I would in England every time Peter used to come to try to wake me up in the morning. I was lying on my back now, so that if I opened my eyes, I would no doubt be staring right into Caspian's wonderfully beautiful, dark chocolate-colored ones.

"Oh, Lucy," I heard him sigh, and felt his hand brush away a stray strand of hair from my face. "If only I could somehow tell you how I really felt about that kiss."

"Why don't you?" I heard myself asking before I could stop the words from escaping my mouth. I opened my eyes and giggled at the shocked look on his face. I cringed when thunder sounded again, but calmed instantly when I felt his warm hand against my cheek.

"So you really want to know how I felt?" he asked. I found myself nodding, staring into his eyes, fixated. He really did have the most wonderful eyes. Before I even really processed what was happening, his lips were pressed, soft and warm, against mine. I started to kiss him back when my mind flashed to the kiss Tristan had given me earlier, and I pulled away.

"What's wrong?" Caspian asked after a moment. I looked up at him, my hand pressed against my lips.

"I…I don't know," I admitted.

"Did something happen earlier?" he questioned. Crap, he saw right through me.

"No, not really," I replied. "I mean, well okay, yeah, sort of."

"What do you mean 'sort of'?" Caspian asked, quirking an eyebrow at me.

"Tristan came in here earlier and—just hear me out, okay?" I sighed when his gaze hardened. "I was freaking out because of the thunder, and he held me until I felt a little better. And…before he left, he sort of…well, okay, not _really_…kissed me."

"He _what_?" Caspian demanded, and I shushed him before turning and looking at Gael, who stirred but didn't awaken.

"It wasn't a real kiss, honest. Just a peck!"

"On the cheek, I hope."

"Um, well…no." Caspian's gaze hardened into a furious glare, and I flinched under its heat.

"I didn't return it! It was so quick I didn't really have time to process what had happened until he was gone!" I explained quickly. Caspian got up and was about to walk out the cabin door when I jumped from the bed and grabbed his wrist.

"Caspian, please wait!" I begged. He ignored me, ripping his wrist from my grasp and leaving the room. I stood there in stunned silence, tears welling up in my eyes at his rejection, before I finally collapsed on the floor and began crying.

**Oh no! Sorry Caspian was kind of out of character there, but things will get better, I promise! Also, I have my fanfics on here, but what would you think of reading one of my original stories on Fiction Press? Tell me in the reviews if you want to read something original of mine. Thanks!**


	9. Chapter 8

**Hey, guys! Time for another chapter, after the last one I left off in a cliffhanger. Again, if you guys are interested in reading anything original of mine on Fiction Press, I have a different pen name on there, so let me know!**

CASPIAN'S POV

I stormed out of the cabin, feeling betrayed by Lucy and pissed off at Tristan. I went back out into the storm, ignoring the downpour of water that drenched me within seconds. The sea and wind had calmed down at least, so there weren't waves crashing over the side of the ship and almost pushing me down.

I stood out there for a while, forcing myself to calm down. I hadn't been very fair to Lucy, storming out of there before she even had the chance to tell me what really happened. I was being irrational. I had just figured out my feelings for the young Queen and sorted out when exactly they started to surface.

Some part of me felt that Tristan was warming up to her just to get to me. He _did_, after all, blame me for what happened between him and Sorra. But then again, even though Tristan was a fairly shady, disrespectful character, I doubted it was possible to fake feelings for Lucy.

"Caspian, what are you doing out here?" I heard Edmund shouting over the pounding of the rain. I looked over at him from where I stood at the railing on the starboard side of the ship.

"I'm just…organizing my thoughts," I answered when he approached me.

"You're going to catch a cold," he pointed out, quirking an eyebrow at me.

"You sound like a mother," I chuckled at him.

"It comes from nagging Lucy about stuff," he replied, shrugging. "But if you want to get yourself sick, go ahead. I'm not going to." With that, he went below deck. I wondered why he hadn't asked me what was on my mind, but I suppose he didn't really want to know. I decided to go back into the cabin and grab some more dry clothes, then head down below deck and change. I wasn't sure I wanted to face Lucy again just yet, though. I didn't know if I was ready for that rush of emotion.

I finally headed back down to the cabin but stood at the door, my hand hovering over the knob. I was so lost in thought that at first I didn't hear the sobs coming from within the room. Guilt washed through me and I opened the door to see Lucy crumpled on the floor, face in her hands, and her shoulders shaking. Without thinking, I moved to embrace her before remembering I was soaking wet. She didn't seem to care. She looked up at me and threw herself into my embrace.

"I'm so sorry, Luce," I whispered, kissing her temple gently when she calmed down. "I shouldn't have just walked out like that. It was inconsiderate and impolite, and I'm really sorry." I froze when I felt her lips touch my neck. It was very light, and if my skin hadn't been so cold that her lips felt like the warmest thing in the world, I probably wouldn't have noticed it. She pulled back and looked up into my eyes, hers red-rimmed from crying. She laughed lightly.

"What?" I asked.

"Now we're both soaked!" she replied, giggling. She turned to make sure neither of us had woken Gael before moving to the chest of drawers and pulling out one of my shirts. I smiled slightly. I already knew she wore my clothes, but it was still flattering to me. I moved over to the drawers as well and pulled out—yet again—dry clothing. With the promise to be back, I left the cabin and went below deck to change. The rest of the crew and Edmund were already asleep, so I did my best not to wake them before I headed back to the cabin. I knocked lightly on the door and was greeted with a soft "come in."

When I walked back in, Lucy was sitting on the edge of the bed in dry clothes as well, looking over at Gael. I smiled as I closed the door behind me and made my way over to her. The first thought that popped into my head was, _She'll make a great mother someday_.

"Look, about what happened earlier…I was in here by myself, trying to ignore the thunder. Tristan came in for whatever reason and sat down and held me until my nerves calmed somewhat. Then when he started to lean in closer to me, I pulled away from him and stood up, telling him he should leave, and he gave me a quick peck before walking out. I didn't respond, I didn't kiss him back. I didn't even have time to move before he was gone."

"It's okay," I told her when she finished explaining. "Really." We stared at each other for a few moments before I leaned in and caught her lips with my own. Her response was immediate. Her arms went around my neck and her fingers tangled themselves in my hair. I wrapped one arm around her waist and my other hand slid up over her shoulder to her neck. We stayed like that until we had to pull back for air.

"Wow," I heard her breathe, and chuckled.

"You'd better get some sleep," I whispered, kissing across her jaw and down her neck. "And I'd better go before your brother wakes up and comes looking for me." I sighed at that thought and leaned in to kiss her once more before we let go of each other and I got up from the bed. She pulled the covers over herself and let out a small yawn before her eyes fluttered closed and her breathing lengthened. I smiled as I watched her fall asleep. She was so adorable like this. I kissed her forehead and got up from the bed, leaving the cabin and heading down below deck.

I fell asleep thinking about Lucy.

**Yay, things were resolved! But it's not over yet, folks! The question still remains: Tristan/Lucy or Caspian/Lucy. It looks like it's leaning towards Caspian/Lucy right now, right? Oh ho ho, just you wait! LOL, review for me!**


	10. Chapter 9

**Hey, guys. Sorry I haven't written for a long time. I've been caught up in my Avengers high, since I've been a Marvel geek for as long as I can remember, and that movie was freaking amazing.  
Also, if you liked the Avengers and you thought Loki was a cool villain or you're a Loki fangirl or whatever, I'm writing a Loki fanfiction called Change. If you want to read it, by all means, do. And of course leave a few reviews for me. ;)  
For now, enjoy chapter 9!**

LUCY'S POV

I woke up the next morning feeling so much better than I had yesterday. The storm had passed, the skies were a clear blue, and I was able to go up on deck without being tossed about in rough waves. Caspian was busy talking with Drinian and figuring out if they were still on course, so I didn't see him much.

I did see Tristan quite a bit. I still had mixed feelings about the blond. I knew how I felt about Caspian, of course, but Tristan was a mystery. He caught her gaze and smiled, waving quickly before going back to work. On his break, he headed over to her.

"Good morning, Lucy," he said, grinning and pushing his messy blond hair out of his cerulean eyes.

"Good morning," I answered cheerfully, handing him a glass of water. "I can see how busy you all are after yesterday's storm."

"Yeah, we are," he replied, taking a drink of water. "But I have a fifteen minute break, which means it's not as bad as it looks."

"You don't have breaks normally?"

"Not really," he answered. "After a bad storm, everyone tries to get everyone running smoothly again as quick as possible. I've seen ships in much worse state than this out on the sea after storms like the one we had yesterday." He paused to take another drink. "We're lucky we have such a fine captain."

"And a fine king to command him," I added. I expected Tristan to tense up, his eyes to go hard. But he simply shrugged in reply.

"Yeah, I guess."

"I know you don't like to talk about it," I began carefully, "but what exactly happened with Caspian that you hate him so much?" I was surprised when he pulled me aside to speak to me rather than walking away and avoiding the subject yet again. _He's in a much better mood today,_ I thought.

"There was this girl…her name was Sorra. She was the most beautiful girl I'd ever met. She had the greatest sense of humor, and could always be counted on to break the tension between two people."

"You fell in love with her."

"Yes, I did. I fell madly in love with her…but I was too frightened to say so. By the time I did work up the nerve to tell her I loved her, she told me she met this really nice man that she fancied." He sighed and looked out over the railing at the water before continuing. "I found out it was King Caspian. I was hurt, yes, but I wanted her to be happy, so I never said anything.

"About a year ago, she came to me crying, saying that she'd tried confessing her love for the king, and he'd said he hadn't felt the same way. I thought she'd get over it, move on. I thought when she did move on that I could tell her how I felt about her." His voice trailed off.

"What happened?" I asked.

"She fell into this deep, dark depression. Her mother had hoped that Sorra would marry the king and give them status. After a long time, she stopped talking to everybody, even me. Because she didn't say anything, we had no idea what happened to her when she disappeared until her body was found in the woods outside her house."

"That's horrible."

"Yeah."

"You can't blame Caspian for that, Tristan. He was being honest with her. He didn't know how her family would treat her if he said no."

"Maybe you're right," Tristan offered. "And at first, it wasn't him I blamed. But when Sorra's mother fell ill because of her daughter's death, I felt I couldn't blame her."

"Does Caspian know why you hate him so much?"

"Yes. I made a point of telling him when I first met him. If there's one thing I can say, it's that he wasn't ignorant of who Sorra was when I mentioned her name."

"It really isn't his fault."

"Maybe not. But grudges are difficult to let go of." I took a deep breath and nodded. I knew the feeling. I was sure everyone in the world knew the feeling at one point in their lives.

"Why'd you want to know, anyway?" he asked. "I'm not asking to be rude, I'm just curious." She shrugged.

"I just wanted to understand," I answered. I looked out over the railing into the ocean that swayed beneath the ship, wondering what it would be like to jump from the deck and swim in that water. I was almost tempted to try it. I looked back at Tristan, who was studying me closely.

"What?" I asked. He shook his head and reached out, tucking a stray strand of hair behind my ear.

"Nothing," he answered. "I guess I just…want to understand _you_."

"What do you mean?"

"Nothing," he repeated.

"Tristan! We need you back over here," one of the other men shouted. Tristan paused, looking at me again and leaning in, pressing a kiss to my forehead briefly before walking away. I stood frozen with shock in my spot.

I turned around and stared out across the ocean. _I can't possibly fancy them both_, I thought. And yet I did. This was going to be a long trip.

**Once again, sorry for taking so long in my update. Hope you enjoyed. I figured since last chapter was all Caspian/Lucy, I ought to balance it out with Tristan/Lucy. Also again, if you want to read my story "Change," please do. In the meantime, review for me!**


	11. Chapter 10

**I know, it's been over a month since I last updated, and most of you are probably giving up on this series. But I am here to beg you to please not to! I have been so incredibly busy lately, and not to mention I just got over writer's block AGAIN, I just haven't found time to write another chapter. I'm so sorry for that, and I promise I will try not to wait this long ever again. Enjoy chapter 10 of Choices!**

LUCY'S POV

I was trying to avoid both Caspian and Tristan lately, to sort out my feelings for both men. On the one hand, there was Caspian, who I knew extremely well. He was my best friend and he used to be like a big brother to me. Ever since he kissed me in Narrowhaven, though, every thought of him as a big brother figure went right out the window. On the other hand, there was Tristan, who was sweet and seemed to genuinely like me despite not knowing me too well. Not to mention, he was closer to me in age than Caspian was.

I thought at first when I figured out I fancied both of them that I would automatically sort it out and Caspian would be the obvious choice because of all we'd been through. And goodness, was I wrong. There was a con to falling in love with either of them, though. It was that small little detail that involved not being from Narnia and inevitably leaving at some point. And there was the small nagging thought in the back of my head that told me it was my last time here. The thought broke my heart, but for the moment I pushed it away and focused on the problem at hand.

A few days after successfully avoiding the men, Caspian tapped on the door of the cabin. I allowed him in, figuring I ought to tell _someone_ what was on my mind before I burst. And there was no way I was talking to Edmund about any of this. One, he was filling the protective brother role since Peter left, and two, I knew he would just use the "we're not staying in Narnia" excuse and tell me to get over it all.

"Is something wrong, Lucy?" Caspian asked when I let him in and shut the door. "I feel like you've been avoiding me."

"Well, I…kind of have been."

"Why? Did I do or say something wrong?"

"No, it's not you at all. I just have a lot on my mind." I saw the bewildered look on his face and let out a long sigh. "I like you a lot, Caspian, I really do. But something else has come to my attention that you…really wouldn't like. And I mean you _really_ wouldn't like it. It's kind of hard to believe, actually. I thought it would be about fancying one man and that was the end of it, but—"

"You fancy Tristan, too." How the _hell_ did he do that?

"Well…yes. Sort of! I…I don't know." I sighed and sat on the edge of the bed, head in my hands. "It's all so confusing. I've never been one to draw _one_ man's attention, let alone two! It's overwhelming and…I don't know how Susan handles it."

"Lucy, I…want you to know something," Caspian said slowly, almost hesitantly. I looked up at him. The look in his eyes told me the confliction went a lot deeper than just his voice. He was really having a hard time with whatever he was about to say. ...Oh, that's how he did it.

"What is it, Caspian?"

"I don't approve of Tristan, you know that. And I do have feelings for you, deep feelings that have been going on for a long time and I didn't realize it until recently. I already loved you before, and now it's a lot stronger…."

"But…?"

"But I'm happy so long as you're happy. I don't want to make you feel like you have to love me just because it makes me happy. I don't want you to be miserable."

"Thank you, Caspian," I told him, smiling and resting my head on his shoulder. "That means a lot to me. And thank you for being okay with me telling you this. I've been sorting through all this in my head, and I felt I was about to burst."

"You can tell me anything, Lucy. I hope you know that."

"Yeah, I know that. Thank you."

"Land ho!" The call came faintly from up on deck. Caspian and I looked at each other before leaving the cabin and heading to the deck to see the land mass we were heading towards. I couldn't help but smile. As much as I loved being out at sea, it was exciting discovering a new island in the middle of my eastern sea like this.

"We'll go ashore for the night and look for supplies and food to bring back tomorrow morning," Caspian instructed. We loaded into the boats. Once we were ashore, I walked barefoot along the soft sand of the beach, enjoying the feeling of the small waves lapping at my feet every now and then. After setting up beds—of sorts—on the sand, Caspian came up behind me and wrapped his arms around my waist.

"It's nice here," I whispered.

"Yes, it is," Caspian agreed, kissing the top of my head. I leaned back in his embrace, feeling like I could stay this way forever. I was sure we were being stared at by several of the crew, and no doubt Edmund and Tristan. The feeling that Tristan was staring at me while I was comfortably in Caspian's arms made me feel a little guilty, but I was too content to bother moving.

We sat down on the sand. I sat in Caspian's lap, my head on his shoulder and his arms around my waist. The cool evening breeze washed over us, but I didn't shiver. He was so warm. I smiled in content when the sun set.

"We should try and get some sleep," he whispered to me.

"Way ahead of you," I replied sleepily, my eyes starting to drift closed. He chuckled and I felt myself being lifted off the ground and carried before settled down on some blankets. He pulled another blanket up over me and kissed my temple.

"Good night, Lu," he whispered to me before moving to his own makeshift bed. I smiled to myself as I fell asleep.

**I just felt like doing pure fluff in this one. A lot of Caspian/Lucy in this one. I'll most likely balance it out with an all-Tristan/Lucy chapter next time. Oh, and I almost forgot to mention, my dog Lucy's birthday was yesterday! She is now a year old!  
Review for me!**


	12. Chapter 11

**Damn you, school, and your need to keep me from my writing time! Anyway, I'm really sorry I haven't updated in forever you guys! I'm alive, I'm healthy, nothing is keeping me from writing but school. I've barely had time for a social life because of my damn schoolwork. Ah, well. Enjoy chapter 11!**

LUCY'S POV

I had been sleeping peacefully, dreaming wonderful dreams about staying in Narnia rather than leaving and living here forever. That is, until I was rudely awaken by…well, actually, I'm not sure what awoke me. Whatever or whoever woke me was completely invisible. They covered my mouth so I couldn't scream and carried me away from the beach to what looked like a garden. When they finally dropped me, I knew I was too far away from the shore to be heard by anybody still sleeping there. I pulled out my dagger, fully prepared to fight off whatever had carried me here. But they knocked my dagger out of my hands. I went after it, only to be knocked back onto the grass.

"What are you?" I called out, feeling ridiculous for speaking to the air.

"We are large, terrifying beasts!" a voice answered. I almost jumped, but forced myself to stay calm. "With the head of a tiger and the body of a…a…"

"Different tiger!" another voice piped in. I sighed, knowing now that they most likely weren't beasts at all. But they did have the advantage of being invisible over me, so I didn't call them on it.

"What do you want?"

"You will do as we tell you." I stood slowly, looking around.

"Or what?"

"Or death." My breath caught, but I forced myself to stay calm as others started chanting "death."

"I wouldn't be much use to you dead, now would I?" I challenged, hearing as that cut them off.

"Then we'll just kill you friends!" another voice added. My mind flashed to Caspian, Edmund, and Tristan. I couldn't let that happen.

"What do you want with me?"

"You will enter the house of the Oppressor!" I was shoved forward, towards nothing but more of the garden that stretched out for miles. I could see no house anywhere nearby, or even in the distance.

"What house?"

"This one," the first voice answered. As soon as he spoke, doors opened in front of me. I couldn't do anything but stare. "Upstairs," the voice continued, "you'll find the Book of Incantations. Find it and recite the spell that makes the unseen, seen." I finally tore my gaze away from the strange sight in front of me to turn back to the invisible creatures.

"Why don't you do it yourselves?"

A long period of silence ensued before finally one of them said, "We can't read."

"Can't write either, as a matter of fact."

"Or add," another said.

"Why didn't you just say so?" I sighed, knowing I might have helped them earlier if they had just told me that. I turned and was about to go into the house when a rustling in the bushes nearby caught my attention.

"Hold it right there!" the first voice said, and someone was thrown into the clearing. I saw with alarm that it was Tristan. "Don't move, or you'll die!"

"No, stop!" I rushed forward and helped Tristan up. "He has to come with me."

"What?" one of the voices asked.

"He has to come with me," I repeated. "Or I won't do what you want." I could feel Tristan's eyes on me, and knew he wanted to ask what in the world was going on. I wished I could answer him, but I didn't even really know.

"Fine," the first voice answered. "What makes the unseen, seen. Got it?" I nodded once before grabbing Tristan's hand and pulling him through the doors. They closed behind us.

"Lucy, wait," Tristan said as I started to walk up the stairs. "What is going on here? What were those things? What are you—" I cut him off by pressing my lips gently against his.

"I'll explain everything later," I promised. "But right now, we have to do as they ask." I intertwined my fingers with his and gave him a small, assuring smile before turning and walking up the stairs.

CASPIAN'S POV

I awoke the next morning when the sun's light came streaming onto the beach where we'd camped. I turned over, expecting to see Lucy still asleep, but found she wasn't in her makeshift bed at all. I stood calmly, figuring she had gotten up to go walk by the water, but she was nowhere to be found. Alarm welled up in my chest and throat, even more so when I saw giant footprints in the sand.

"Edmund, wake up," I said, panic in my voice. "Ed, get up. Lucy's gone."

"What? What do you mean, gone?"

"I _mean_ she's not here! And look, there are footprints." He stood up and looked at the sand. I could see the panic in his voice.

"Wait…Tristan's gone, too," he pointed out. My eyes narrowed and I started off into the trees, Edmund calling out for me to wait as Drinian—who had apparently heard what was going on—woke the crew. I ignored Edmund and continued walking until I came to a garden. All seemed quiet and peaceful, but I could tell something was off. I became especially alarmed when my sword was knocked from my hand. I heard more clattering behind me and turned to see Edmund had come after me, and was now empty-handed as well.

"Stop right there, or perish!" a voice commanded from thin air. I froze, thinking at first that maybe someone had thrown their voice, because I was staring at the exact spot the voice had come from…and nothing was there.

"What are you?" Edmund asked.

"We are terrifying, invisible beasts!" Invisible…that explained a lot. But _terrifying_? I highly doubted it. They ensued with threats, but once they became visible, Edmund and I relaxed. Ed had gotten his sword back, and pointed it at who seemed to be the head of these…creatures.

"Where's my sister, you little pipsqueak?" he demanded.

"She's in the mansion."

"What mansion?" As he spoke, a house appeared out of nowhere.

"Oh…that mansion." I started towards it, Ed trailing behind me. I let out a relieved sigh when Lucy emerged unscathed. Behind her was a man I didn't recognize and…Tristan. My eyes flashed down to see Lucy's hand entwined with Tristan's and pain gripped at me. I would stand by what I told Lucy about being okay with whomever she chose, but if she chose Tristan, I wouldn't necessarily be happy about it.

She released Tristan's hand and walked forward until she reached Edmund. Her brother hugged her, whispering something about "never disappearing like that again." She turned to me and hugged me as well.

"Sorry," she breathed against my skin. "It was sort of unexpected to me as well." I hugged her back, just relieved that she was all right. I'd have to get the whole story from her later. She stood back, in between me and Tristan—who'd moved to her side—while she introduced us to the man, Coriakin.

"Lucy," Tristan said softly while Coriakin spoke to the creatures—Dufflepuds, he called them. They were quiet for a moment and I turned to look at them, seeing Lucy squeeze Tristan's hand lightly.

"Shh," she whispered, shaking her head infinitesimally. I wondered what was going on, but before I could ask, Coriakin turned and led us inside, telling me about the evil we were approaching. For the moment, the magician had my full attention.

**Blehhh this is kinda crap, but I wasn't sure what to do for this chapter. I realize I have a lot more Caspian/Lucy in there than Tristan/Lucy, but I have more experience with Lucian, so. Review for me, pretty please!**


	13. Chapter 12

**Okay, now that I finally have some free time to write again, here is the next chapter of Choices!**

LUCY'S POV

I was alone in the cabin for the moment. The piece of parchment sat in my lap and I stared at it blankly, unsure of whether or not to read the spell. My mind flashed back to Coriakin's island, when I was looking for the spell to "make the unseen seen." I came across a spell that made me look like Susan. Tristan had been standing in the hallway, insisting on keeping watch despite the fact that everything he should be watching out for was invisible. I'd torn the paper out, enticing a roar I recognized. I'd looked around, but couldn't see Aslan anywhere. Tristan came in then, trying to make sure I was all right. He saw the parchment in my hands and tried to discourage me from taking the spell, but I'd ignored him, folding it up and hiding it under the vest I wore.

Now I sat staring at it, reading the words silently but unable to make myself open my mouth to recite the spell. I didn't know the consequences of my actions, and Tristan had seemed extremely wary when he saw the spell. My mind flashed again to Aslan's roar. He'd never roared at me before, and I trembled to think he was angry with me. _Or worse,_ my mind whispered. _He could be disappointed with you_.

A knock sounded at the cabin door, and I folded and hid the spell in the covers of the bed before calling, "Come in." Tristan walked in, closing the door behind him. His cerulean eyes held caution and wariness, as if he were afraid I'd have used the spell and wouldn't be me any longer. He seemed to relax when he saw me sitting in the middle of the bed and moved to sit on the edge.

"Lucy, this isn't the first time I've seen that spell," he whispered. "There was a wizard who had it when I was younger, and my mother—who was jealous of a woman she knew—used it. She didn't become more beautiful than the woman, as she originally thought, but basically turned _into_ her. She went crazy because everyone would confuse her for that woman, and eventually she just ran off. My father and sisters never knew what happened, and I was too scared to say anything." He paused and looked up at me. "I'm not going to order you not to use it. For one thing, I don't have the power to do that, and for another I wouldn't do that. I'm just telling you that it would be better not to use it. There's no telling what could happen."

He stood then, and without another word he walked out of the room. I watched him go before taking out the spell. I unfolded it and stared at it for a while longer, pondering over his words and wondering how Aslan would feel about it. My curiosity raged inside of me though. What _would_ happen if I read it? A warning growl resonated through the room, and I decided it was better not to find out. I crumpled up the spell, walked to the fireplace, and tossed it in. The shape of a lion blazed in the flames and let out a roar, but I could tell that Aslan was proud of my choice by his voice simply telling me, "Good."

I walked out on deck a few minutes later, feeling a little lighter on my feet and proud of myself for not doing something that was possibly extremely reckless. I could tell from the look I caught of Tristan's face that he was glad I hadn't used the spell. It was nice to be liked for being me, although it was different for Tristan because he'd never met Susan. I idly wondered how Caspian would have felt had he known. A pang of guilt went through me when I thought of Caspian. I hadn't spoken to him for the past couple days since we'd left Coriakin's island.

I looked around and saw him up by the wheel of the ship, gazing out over the side at the water behind us. I made my way up the staircase and over to him, touching his arm lightly. He gave me a quick half-smile before turning back to look out at the water.

"Are you okay, Caspian?" I asked. Some part of me felt slightly hurt that he wasn't talking to me. The other, more rational, part reminded me that it was my fault for not having said a word to him in days.

"I'm fine," he assured me, turning to look at me full-on. "I've actually been wondering if you're doing all right. You've been sort of locked up in the cabin for the past couple days." I stared at him for a few minutes, into the dark brown eyes I knew so well. _Should I tell him?_ I thought. _He'd tell me if something was bothering him,_ I reminded myself. So I took his hand and pulled him down off the deck into the cabin, not speaking until the door was closed behind us. I told him all that had happened on the island, and of the spell. I also vaguely told him that Tristan had warned me against it.

"I might actually have to thank Tristan," Caspian murmured before speaking to me. "Lucy, why would you want to look like Susan?" I switched my weight from my right foot to my left nervously, biting my lower lip. I'd told him everything else, why not this? _Because it's my biggest insecurity, that's why,_ the rational part of my brain reminded me. _Shut up,_ I told it.

"Susan…is…well, she's…more beautiful than I am," I mumbled. Caspian stared at me for a minute before stepping to me and closing the space between us by wrapping his arms around me in a hug.

"Lucy, Susan may be beautiful on the outside, but only just. You're beautiful on the inside, and it shines through." He stepped back, looking me in the eye. "You shouldn't ever think that you're not beautiful." I stared at him, tears forming in my eyes. I knew it was stupid to cry at so trivial a thing, but it meant so much that he was saying that. I hugged him again.

"Thank you, Caspian."

**I'm having a ball with this series, I really am. I don't think I'm even sure who I want her to end up with, but don't worry, I'll sort it out before the ending. Review for me!**


	14. Chapter 13

**Hey, everyone. I'm still alive, I promise. And no, I have not given up on this series. I could sit here coming up with excuses for why I didn't write, or I can let you read the next chapter…I think I'm gonna go with the latter. Enjoy!**

LUCY'S POV

We found another island not long after that. This one seemed to be deserted, the total opposite of Coriakin's island. We rowed ashore, the men looking around in hopes that they would find food. Caspian had a different thought on his mind. I went with him and Edmund to see if we could find any signs that the Lords had been here. There was a cavern, and we went in to find a sign, any sign, that there had ever been any form of life on this island.

Considering that it was an expanse of rock, the cavern was quite beautiful. Or, so I felt. I could tell by looking at my brother that he was just the slightest bit spooked by the place. From the look on his face, something felt off about it. I tried, but couldn't feel what he apparently felt. I followed Caspian in silence to a pool of water. What was in it surprised me.

"Look," I said, pointing to something in the water. "It looks like a gold statue."

"That's not a statue…" Caspian mused, looking at the shield. "Lord Restimar."

"He must have fallen in somehow," I said, looking over him in curiosity. Edmund picked up a dead root and stuck it in the water, pulling it out in amazement as it turned to solid gold. Afraid that his hand would be turned into gold as well, he tossed it into the water.

"His sword," I noticed. "It hasn't turned to gold."

"It's magic," Caspian reminded me. Edmund took out the sword he was using for the time being—the one Bern had given to Caspian—and used it to pull Restimar's sword out of the pool. I could practically see the wheels turning in my brother's head as he stared at the water.

"I think he was on to something," Edmund finally spoke up. He picked up a shell and dipped it in the water, quickly setting it on the ground as it turned to gold. He picked it up again. I could see the greed in his eyes…it frightened me.

"Lucy…we could be so rich," he said to me, picking up the shell and holding it in practically a death grip. "We could live anywhere we wanted to." I opened my mouth to speak, but Caspian beat me to it.

"You can't take anything out of Narnia, Edmund." My brother turned to glare at the king. This was getting bad, fast. I tried to tune out the growing argument, my gaze shifting to the water in curiosity. I could have sworn I saw a flash of green in the pool. I got closer, leaning over, trying to see it. I lost my footing.

"Lucy!" Caspian shouted, catching me just at the last second. He pulled me away from the edge, toward the cavern wall. Edmund seemed to be back in his right mind, the greed and anger gone from his eyes. He was staring at me in concern. I could feel my pulse racing, fuelled by adrenaline. I almost died just now, I realized. My initial shock passed and overwhelming relief washed over me as I hugged Caspian, burying my face in his chest. He held me tight, knowing just how close he'd come to losing me.

"Lu, what were you thinking?" Edmund demanded, and I could hear the worry in his voice.

"I…I thought I saw something in the water," I replied, voice shaky. "I-I know it was stupid, I wasn't thinking."

"We weren't in our right minds," Caspian said, stroking my hair reassuringly. "None of us. We should leave this cavern. It's not safe here." Edmund agreed and we headed back up to the shore. I realized that Eustace had disappeared.

"Where's Eustace?" I asked.

"I believe he's out _not_ helping us load the boats," Reepicheep replied. I called my cousin's name a couple of times, but there was no answer. Caspian and Edmund looked up, also realizing the boy's absence.

"I'll go look for him," Edmund offered.

"I'll go with you," Caspian added. I could tell the two were still uneasy from their row in the cavern, and then my near death. Obviously Caspian wasn't going to allow a petty argument to get in between them. If they had anything in common, it was me, and they both knew the last thing I would want was for them to be fighting. I was glad when Edmund agreed without a problem. Caspian handed me his sword and pressed a quick kiss to my forehead.

"We'll be back soon," he promised. I went back to the ship with the rest of the crew, one boat remaining for Edmund, Caspian, and Eustace to bring back.

After a short while of pacing the ship's deck, a noise came from the island. It sounded like an explosion. Gael, who was standing next to me now, turned to Drinian with a worried look on her face.

"Was that the volcano?" she asked.

"Oh, no…that was no volcano," Drinian replied, eyes on the island. I looked over in time to see a large, gold dragon flying around the island. It swooped down towards the shore and I realized it snatched someone up. My throat grew tight when it flew out towards the ship and I saw the person it had in its talons was Edmund. A few of the men got in a boat, along with me, and rowed quickly to shore. I met Caspian in a panic.

"What happened?" I demanded.

"We found Eustace's clothing, burned. I think it was the dragon. We were heading back to shore when it appeared and grabbed Edmund." There was worry in his eyes. "Lu, I'm so sorry." Before I had a chance to process any of what he said, the dragon reappeared with Edmund still being held by it.

It set my brother gently down on the ground before landing somewhat behind him. I grabbed at the sword on my hip, but Edmund shook his head. "Lucy, it's not just a dragon. It's Eustace."

**I KNOW I'M A TOTAL JERK FOR NOT UPDATING. I'M SO SORRY. AGDSJKFOWENVOA**

**School lets out June 6, so I won't be so effing swamped, I promise. Review for me!**


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